Game Settings

This article is considered accurate for the current version (2.3) of the game.

Game Settings are the various changes that the player can make before starting a single player or multiplayer game. These settings can be used to make game sessions shorter or longer, simpler or more complex, as well as to increase the difficulty if desired.

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When starting a new game, the player may choose which type of galaxy they are to play in. An empire's expansion is limited to the galactic plane, so the shape of the galaxy will affect play. Which galaxy types are accessible at the start of the game is determined by how many stars the galaxy is to have.

There are 3 different types of galaxies available, with 2 variants of the spiral galaxy for a total of 4 possible galaxy shape options.

Type

Min Galaxy Size

Description

Elliptical

Tiny

Elliptical galaxies have the stars placed in a ellipsoidal pattern , resulting in an evenly distributed geography. Expansion is mostly unhindered. It is also the Default map.

Spiral (2 arms)

Small

Spiral galaxies have the stars placed in arms that extend out in a spiral pattern. A spiral galaxy provides an interesting geography as the galactic arms are sparsely connected to each other.

Spiral (4 arms)

Medium

Ring

Tiny

Ring galaxies have the stars placed in a ring shape around the galactic core, making it easier to cut other empires off from the rest of the galaxy than it is with any other shape. Expansion is limited to a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. An inner ring surrounds the galactic core

In addition to the galaxy shape, the size of the galaxy can also be chosen at the beginning of the game, ranging from 200 to 1000 stars. The size of the galaxy affects the number of stars, as well as how many AI Empires, Fallen Empires and Marauder Empires can be generated at the start of the game.

Increases the difficulty of the game for a greater challenge, with higher difficulties granting bonuses to AI empires. Higher difficulty also increases the strength of the endgame crisis. Vassals of human players do not gain difficulty bonuses.

Scaling Difficulty causes the AI (or human) empires and spaceborne aliens difficulty bonuses to start at zero and scale up over the course of the game, reaching the bonus defined by difficulty level at the End-Game year.

Ironman is an optional game mode that restricts the player's control over their save file, effectively removing the ability to correct mistakes and change decisions made during the course of play. Under Ironman Mode saving manually is disabled and the game runs on a single save file that gets overwritten every time a significant action is taken. Console commands are also disabled.

Enabling Ironman Mode requires the Autosave to Cloud option to be enabled in the Settings menu, which also requires the user to be logged into Steam and Steam Cloud to be enabled for the game in the Steam Library (Stellaris/Properties/Updates). This also requires that "Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it" is enabled in the Steam settings (Steam/Settings/Cloud).

Achievements can only be unlocked in ironman mode. If the checksum is modified by the presence of gameplay mods Ironman Mode will not grand achievements.